Irish Heritage Trail

Irish history at the USS Constitution and
Museum in Charlestown Navy Yard

The next time you’re exploring the Irish Heritage Trail or Boston’s Freedom Trail, be sure to stop by the USS Constitution ship and the Irish Heritage Trail in the Charlestown Navy Yard.The USS Constitution is America’s oldest commissioned…

The next time you’re exploring the Irish Heritage Trail or Boston’s Freedom Trail, be sure to stop by the USS Constitution ship and the Irish Heritage Trail in the Charlestown Navy Yard.The USS Constitution is America’s oldest commissioned ship,  first launched on October 21, 1797.  It is berthed in the Charlestown Navy Yard, and operated by the US Navy, in partnership with the National Historic Parks of…

Myles Standish Monument in Duxbury, MA

Irish-Born Sculptor Stephen J.O’Kelly Created Myles Standish Memorial In Duxbury and Civil War Monuments in Nashua and Gettysburg

Dublin-born sculptor Stephen J. O’Kelly (1850-98) was a successful artist in late 19th century United States, creating several important memorials that still stand today. Born in Dublin, he studied art in Paris and…

Dublin-born sculptor Stephen J. O’Kelly (1850-98) was a successful artist in late 19th century United States, creating several important memorials that still stand today. Born in Dublin, he studied art in Paris and opened a studio in London before immigrating to Boston, where he lived for much of his adult life. He had Roscommon roots, and his brother,…

Photo courtesy of PEI Cobb Freed and Partners

The Moakley Courthouse in Seaport District Honors a True South Boston Hero

Located along the Seaport District on Fan Pier and situated along Boston Harborwalk, the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse is a tribute to South Boston native Joe Moakley, who represented his neighborhood…

Located along the Seaport District on Fan Pier and situated along Boston Harborwalk, the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse is a tribute to South Boston native Joe Moakley, who represented his neighborhood and district as a state representative, state senator, Boston City Councilor and U.S. Congressman for 48 years. The Moakley Courthouse is part of Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail, an…

Commodore John Barry, Naval Hero In the American Revolution, Dies on September 13, 1803

American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, Commodore John Barry died on September 13, 1803.  He is buried at Old Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Considered one of the true military…

American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, Commodore John Barry died on September 13, 1803.  He is buried at Old Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Considered one of the true military heroes of the American Revolution,  Barry was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford on March 25, 1745.  At age 15, he emigrated to Philadelphia in 1760, and…

New York Daily Herald Front Page, August 2, 1903

Irish-American Sculptor John Donoghue (1853-1903) Dies Tragically after his Masterpiece is Destroyed on Brooklyn Docks

One of the most gifted 19th century Irish-American sculptors, according to art historians, was John Talbott Donoghue (1853-1903) , a Chicago native who lived in Boston in the 1880s and…

One of the most gifted 19th century Irish-American sculptors, according to art historians, was John Talbott Donoghue (1853-1903) , a Chicago native who lived in Boston in the 1880s and whose life and career ended tragically when he took his own life.  Donoghue was discovered as a struggling artist by Oscar Wilde during the famous…

Milmore's Civil War Monument in Winthrop Square, Charlestown

Landmarks in Boston’s Charlestown Neighborhood Celebrate the Irish Presence
Here

Boston’s vibrant neighborhood of Charlestown has a rich Irish history that goes back to the American Revolution and continues today.  There are several landmarks in Charlestown that visitors can explore…

Boston’s vibrant neighborhood of Charlestown has a rich Irish history that goes back to the American Revolution and continues today.  There are several landmarks in Charlestown that visitors can explore along the Boston Irish Heritage Trail.  Here are a few or our favorites. A Boston National Historic Park overseen by the National Park Service, the Bunker Hill Monument is…

Top Row: Site of Copley Home,42 Beacon Street, Beacon Hill, and Copley Square, Back Bay. 

Boston Painter John S. Copley, Caught Between the Tories and the Rebels During the American Revolution

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the…

America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the 1730s. John’s parents, Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, were married in County Limerick before emigrating to Boston. Right after their son John…

John Boyle O'Reilly Landmarks

Visit these Public Memorials to John Boyle O’Reilly throughout Massachusetts

Born on June 28, 1844, John Boyle O’Reilly helped shape the history or Ireland and America in the late 19th century in powerful ways.  Today, O’Reilly’s stature as a seminal…

Born on June 28, 1844, John Boyle O’Reilly helped shape the history or Ireland and America in the late 19th century in powerful ways.  Today, O’Reilly’s stature as a seminal figure in Irish and Irish-American history is particularly evident in his beloved birthplace of Dowth, County Meath; in Freemantle, Australia where he was imprisoned; and…

JFK lays wreath at John Barry Memorial in Ireland, Photo Courtesy of JFK Library

President John F. Kennedy Honors American Revolution Naval Hero John Barry in Wexford on June 27, 1963

President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland on June 26-29, 1963 was later described by his siblings as one of the most memorable and cherished parts of his presidency.  Kennedy…

President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland on June 26-29, 1963 was later described by his siblings as one of the most memorable and cherished parts of his presidency.  Kennedy visited his ancestral family in Wexford and Limerick, and also stopped in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The trip was widely covered by the international media…

Massachusetts State House Unveils Plaque to American Revolution Naval Hero Jeremiah O’Brien

On June 12, 1937 a plaque dedicated to Captain Jeremiah O’Brien was unveiled at the Massachusetts State House commemorating O’Brien’s “distinguished services for winning the first navel engagement in the…

On June 12, 1937 a plaque dedicated to Captain Jeremiah O’Brien was unveiled at the Massachusetts State House commemorating O’Brien’s “distinguished services for winning the first navel engagement in the War of the Revolution and of his subsequent exploits in said war as the first regularly commissioned naval officer  and commander of the Revolutionary Navy of…

Jewish + Irish Cemeteries Were Discouraged by 19th Century Boston Puritans

Ancestors of the early Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony discouraged Jews and Irish Catholics from burying their congregations in local cemeteries the first half of the 19th century.  Boston…

Ancestors of the early Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony discouraged Jews and Irish Catholics from burying their congregations in local cemeteries the first half of the 19th century.  Boston had long been known as a place where outsiders were considered with suspicion and hatred, due to their religion or ethnic backgrounds. According to Mass Moments,…

Visit These Landmarks of the Kennedy Family in Massachusetts

The family of President John F. Kennedy has deep roots in Massachusetts, dating to 1848, when all eight of JFK’s eight great-grandparents arrived in Boston, escaping the Irish Famine that…

The family of President John F. Kennedy has deep roots in Massachusetts, dating to 1848, when all eight of JFK’s eight great-grandparents arrived in Boston, escaping the Irish Famine that was devastating Ireland. From Boston, Cambridge and Brookline to beautiful Cape Cod and the cities of Springfield and Holyoke in western Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy…

Irish 9th Infantry

In April 1861, Irish Volunteers from greater Boston Enlisted in the 9th MA Regiment to Help Preserve the Union

Days before President Abraham Lincoln’s April 15, 1861 proclamation seeking 75,000 volunteers to join the Union Army, men from Boston’s Irish community met on April 10 to “express unflinching devotion…

Days before President Abraham Lincoln’s April 15, 1861 proclamation seeking 75,000 volunteers to join the Union Army, men from Boston’s Irish community met on April 10 to “express unflinching devotion to the Federal Government.” Irishman Thomas Cass of Boston’s North End immediately began recruiting Irish immigrants to form the Massachusetts 9th regiment. The volunteers came largely from…

James Brendan Connolly Statue in South Boston

On April 6, 1896, South Boston’s James B. Connolly Wins the First Medal in the Modern Olympic Games in Greece

On Monday, April 6, 1896, James Brendan Connolly of South Boston became the first medalist in the modern Olympic Games when he won the triple jump on the opening day of the…

On Monday, April 6, 1896, James Brendan Connolly of South Boston became the first medalist in the modern Olympic Games when he won the triple jump on the opening day of the Games in Athens, Greece. Connolly won the event – back then it was called the Hop, Skip and Jump – by jumping 44 ‘ 9…

Irish WWI Memorial Records 1914-1918

In 1924, Ireland gives Boston Public Library an 8-Volume War Memorial Records of Nearly 50,000 Irish Who Died in World War I

In February, 1924, the Irish National War Memorial Committee in Dublin donated eight beautifully decorated folio volumes, containing information on Irishmen who died in World War I to the Boston…

In February, 1924, the Irish National War Memorial Committee in Dublin donated eight beautifully decorated folio volumes, containing information on Irishmen who died in World War I to the Boston Public Library central branch in Copley Square. Published in 1923 by the Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, the the massive project was undertaken…

Early 18th Century: Irish, Negro + Indian Run Away Together from Boston

Irish + Black in Boston, Caught in the Caste System

Blacks and Irish have often, though not always, faced similar experiences in how they were depicted, considered and treated in New England over the past four centuries.  When the Puritans…

Blacks and Irish have often, though not always, faced similar experiences in how they were depicted, considered and treated in New England over the past four centuries.  When the Puritans settled in Boston in 1630, they believed fervently that they were the chosen ones, destined to build “a city upon a hill, with the eyes…

Irish holidings MA State House

Irish Art, Statues and Rare Artifacts at the Massachusetts State House, along Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail

The Massachusetts State House has a number of beautiful and rare works of art and artifacts relating to the Irish-American experience, and is a featured stop along Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail….

The Massachusetts State House has a number of beautiful and rare works of art and artifacts relating to the Irish-American experience, and is a featured stop along Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail.   The incredible collection of art and artifacts is maintained and curated by the State House Art Commission. Here is just a selection of items worth…

American Revolution Landmarks on Boston's Irish Heritage Trail

Boston Landmarks Depict Irish and Scots-Irish Heroics in the American Revolution

Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, as evidenced by the number of public landmarks that relate to their heroics and sacrifice. From Commodore John…

Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War, as evidenced by the number of public landmarks that relate to their heroics and sacrifice. From Commodore John Barry and General John Sullivan to Boston Massacre victim Patrick Carr and the Scots-Irish who fought at Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights, the Irish were…

John O'Reilly and Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass and John Boyle O’Reilly, Allies for Freedom and Liberty

John Boyle O’Reilly and Frederick Douglass were natural allies in 19th century New England, where they aligned on pressing issues of liberty and justice for all. In the early part…

John Boyle O’Reilly and Frederick Douglass were natural allies in 19th century New England, where they aligned on pressing issues of liberty and justice for all. In the early part of their lives, both men were fugitives, on the run from their captors as they tried to make their way to freedom. Both became writers…

looking up at bronze statue of John Glover in a tree filled park

Revolutionary War Hero John Glover is Memorialized on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Colonel John Glover, a local hero of the American Revolution, is memorialized on Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue Mall with an heroic bronze portrayal by Irish-born sculptor Martin Milmore. Described as an…

Colonel John Glover, a local hero of the American Revolution, is memorialized on Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue Mall with an heroic bronze portrayal by Irish-born sculptor Martin Milmore. Described as an overlooked hero by the National Park Service, Glover was born in Salem, Massachusetts and became a successful sailor and maritime leader on Boston’s North Shore.  His…

Thanksgiving proclamtion 1773 with God Save the King

Massachusetts Removed ‘God Save the King’ from its annual Thanksgiving Proclamation Starting in 1774

A story in the November 24, 1897 edition of The Boston Globe traces the evolution of the Thanksgiving Day proclamation between the years 1773 and 1785.  It reveals that the…

A story in the November 24, 1897 edition of The Boston Globe traces the evolution of the Thanksgiving Day proclamation between the years 1773 and 1785.  It reveals that the Thanksgiving proclamation issued by Governor Thomas Hutchinson in 1773 was the last year the phrase “God Save the King” was used in Massachusetts. Hutchinson was…

Battle between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere, 19 August 1812, by Michel Felice Corne Courtesy U.S. Navy - Naval History and Heritage Command, 80-G-K-26254

The USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, was first launched on October 21, 1797

America’s oldest commissioned ship, the USS Constitution, was first launched on October 21, 1797, and is berthed in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The USS Constitution is operated by the US Navy, a partner of the National…

America’s oldest commissioned ship, the USS Constitution, was first launched on October 21, 1797, and is berthed in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The USS Constitution is operated by the US Navy, a partner of the National Historic Parks of Boston. Known as Old Ironsides for its durability during battle, the USS Constitution has some important Irish connections.  During the War of…

Playwright Eugene O’Neill Died in Boston on November 27, 1953, is Buried in Boston’s Forest Hills Cemetery

Eugene O’Neill, one of the great American playwrights and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936, died of bronchial pneumonia at the Hotel Shelton on Bay State Road in Boston…

Eugene O’Neill, one of the great American playwrights and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936, died of bronchial pneumonia at the Hotel Shelton on Bay State Road in Boston on November 27, 1953, at age 65. His wife Carlotta Monterey was by his side. O’Neill is buried at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plains, a…

Congressional Proclamation In honor of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial

Congressman Stephen Lynch issues Congressional Proclamation in Honor of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial

An event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial took place on Wednesday, June 28 at the memorial park at the corner of Washington and School…

An event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial took place on Wednesday, June 28 at the memorial park at the corner of Washington and School Streets. US Congressman Stephen Lynch provided a Congressional Proclamation in Honor of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial, copies of which were distributed at the event….

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